[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 90 (Friday, May 8, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27352-27353]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-09931]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 90 / Friday, May 8, 2020 / Notices  

[[Page 27352]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Office of the Secretary


Request for Nominations of Members for the National Agricultural 
Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board, Specialty 
Crop Committee, Citrus Disease Subcommittee, and National Genetic 
Resources Advisory Council

AGENCY: Research, Education, and Economics, USDA.

ACTION: Solicitation for membership.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the 
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announces the opening of the 
solicitation for nominations to fill vacancies on the National 
Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) 
Advisory Board and its subcommittees. There are fourteen vacancies on 
the NAREEE Advisory Board; four vacancies on the National Genetic 
Resources Advisory Council; three vacancies on the Specialty Crop 
Committee; and three vacancies on the Citrus Disease Subcommittee.

DATES:  USDA will consider nominations received by July 31, 2020.

ADDRESSES:  To ensure receipt of nomination packages, please email the 
nominee's name, resume or CV, completed and signed Form AD-755, and any 
letters of support to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michele Esch, Director, National 
Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory 
Board, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 332A, The Whitten Building, 
Washington, DC 20250-2255; telephone: 202-720-3684 or email: 
[email protected]. Committee website: https://nareeeab.ree.usda.gov/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Instructions for Nominations: Nominations are solicited from 
organizations, associations, societies, councils, federations, groups, 
and companies that represent a wide variety of food and agricultural 
interests throughout the country.
    Nominees may be considered for the NAREEE Advisory Board and or a 
subcommittee and may be considered for more than one category and/or 
subcommittee dependent on the nominee's qualifications. Each nominee 
must submit a signed form AD-755, ``Advisory Committee Membership 
Background Information,'' which can be obtained from the contact person 
above or from: https://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/AD-755%20-%20Approved% 20Master%202015.pdf). A resume or CV should also 
be submitted. Letters of nomination or support are encouraged. 
Nomination letters must indicate whether they are applying for a NAREEE 
Board position or a subcommittee AND include the category(s) for which 
the nominee is applying.
    Nominations are open to all individuals without regard to race, 
color, religion, sex, national origin, age, mental or physical 
handicap, marital status, or sexual orientation. To ensure the 
recommendation of the Advisory Board takes into account the needs of 
the diverse groups served by the USDA, membership shall include, to the 
extent practicable, individuals with demonstrated ability to represent 
the needs of all racial and ethnic groups, women and men, and persons 
with disabilities.
    Please note, individuals may not serve on more than one USDA 
Federal Advisory Committee. Individuals, who are lobbyists, appointed 
to committees to exercise their own individual best judgment on behalf 
of the government (e.g. as Special Government Employees) are ineligible 
to serve.
    All nominees will be carefully reviewed for their expertise, 
leadership, and relevance. Appointed members will serve two-, or three-
year terms in order to properly stagger term rotation. All nominees 
will be vetted before selection. Appointments to the NAREEE Advisory 
Board and its subcommittees will be made by the Secretary of 
Agriculture.

National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education and Economics 
Advisory Board

    The NAREEE Advisory Board was established in 1996 via Section 1408 
of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy 
Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3123) to provide advice to the Secretary of 
Agriculture and land-grant colleges and universities on top priorities 
and policies for food and agricultural research, education, extension, 
and economics. Section 1408 of the National Agricultural Research, 
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 was amended by the Farm 
Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to reduce the number of 
members on the NAREEE Advisory Board to 25 members and required the 
Board to also provide advice to the Committee on Agriculture of the 
House of Representatives; the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
Forestry of the Senate; the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies of the 
Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and the 
Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development and Related Agencies of 
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. Subsequently, Section 
1408 of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 further reduced the 
number of members from 25 to 15 and changed the categories of 
membership for the advisory board. Each member of the Board represents 
a specific category including: National Farm or Producer Organizations; 
Academic or Research Societies; Agricultural Research, Extension and 
Education; or Industry, Consumer or Rural Interests.
    Nominations are being sought for the following categories:
     Three members to represent National Farm or Produce 
Organizations, which may include members representing:
    [cir] farm cooperatives;
    [cir] food animal commodity producers;
    [cir] plant commodity producers; or
    [cir] aquaculture producers.
     Two members to represent Academic or Research Societies, 
which may include members representing:
    [cir] National food animal science society;
    [cir] national crop, soil, agronomy, horticulture, plant pathology, 
or weed science society;

[[Page 27353]]

    [cir] national food science organization;
    [cir] national human health association; or
    [cir] national nutritional science society.
     four members to represent Agricultural Research, Extension 
and Education, which shall include members representing:
    [cir] 1 member representing the 1862 land-grant colleges and 
universities.
    [cir] 1 member representing the 1890 land-grant colleges and 
universities, including Tuskegee University.
    [cir] 1 member representing the 1994 Equity in Education land-grant 
institution
    [cir] 1 member representing American colleges of veterinary 
medicine
     five members to represent Industry, Consumer or Rural 
Interests, which may include members representing:
    [cir] Transportation of food and agricultural products to domestic 
and foreign markets;
    [cir] food retailing and marketing interests;
    [cir] food and fiber processors;
    [cir] rural economic development interests;
    [cir] a national consumer interest group;
    [cir] a national forestry group;
    [cir] a national conservation or natural resource group;
    [cir] a national social science association;
    [cir] private sector organizations involved in international 
development; or
    [cir] a national association of agricultural economists.

All nominees will be carefully reviewed for their expertise, 
leadership, and relevance to a category.

National Genetic Resources Advisory Council

    The National Genetic Resources Advisory Council was originally 
established in March, 1992 via section 1634 (7 U.S.C. 5843) of the 
Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990 to formulate 
recommendations on actions and policies for the collection, 
maintenance, and utilization of genetic resources; to make 
recommendations for coordination of genetic resources plans of several 
domestic and international organizations; and to advise the Secretary 
of Agriculture and the National Genetic Resources Program, part of the 
Agricultural Research Service, of new and innovative approaches to 
genetic resources conservation. It was subsequently re-established in 
2012 as a permanent subcommittee of the NAREEE Advisory Board. The 
Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 further expanded the 
responsibilities of the Council to include recommendations on cultivar 
development and increased the number of members from 9 to 13. The 
membership is required to have 6 members from scientific disciplines 
relevant to the National Genetic Resources Program, including 
agricultural sciences, economics and policy, environmental sciences, 
natural resource sciences, health sciences, and nutritional sciences; 3 
members from the general public and shall include leaders in fields of 
public policy, community development, trade, international development, 
law, or management; and 4 members with expertise in cultivar 
development and animal breed development. In addition, 4 of the members 
of the NGRAC shall be appointed from among individuals representing: 
1862 land-grant colleges and universities; 1890 land-grant colleges and 
universities; Hispanic-serving institutions; or 1994 Equity in 
Education land-grant institutions.
    Nominations are being sought for the following categories:
     Three members to represent the scientific disciplines, and
     one member to represent the general public.

All nominees will be carefully reviewed for their expertise, 
leadership, and relevance to a category.

Specialty Crop Committee

    The Specialty Crop Committee was created as a subcommittee of the 
NAREEE Advisory Board in accordance with the Specialty Crops 
Competitiveness Act of 2004 under Title III, Section 303 of Public Law 
108-465. The committee was formulated to study the scope and 
effectiveness of research, extension, and economics programs affecting 
the specialty crop industry. The legislation defines ``specialty 
crops'' as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and nursery 
crops (including floriculture). The Agricultural Act of 2014 further 
expanded the scope of the Specialty Crop Committee to provide advice to 
the Secretary of Agriculture on the relevancy review process of the 
Specialty Crop Research Initiative, a grant program of the National 
Institute of Food and Agriculture.
    Members should represent the breadth of the specialty crop 
industry. Three members of the Specialty Crop Committee are also 
members of the NAREEE Advisory Board, and six members represent various 
disciplines of the specialty crop industry. The terms of three members 
expired on September 30, 2020. The Specialty Crop Committee is 
soliciting nominations to fill three vacant positions to represent the 
specialty crop industry. All nominees will be carefully reviewed for 
their expertise, leadership, and relevance to a category.
    Citrus Disease Subcommittee: The Citrus Disease Subcommittee was 
established by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Sec. 7103) to advise the 
Secretary of Agriculture on citrus research, extension, and development 
needs, engage in regular consultation and collaboration with USDA and 
other organizations involved in citrus, and provide recommendations for 
research and extension activities related to citrus disease. The Citrus 
Disease Subcommittee will also advise the Department on the research 
and extension agenda of the Emergency Citrus Disease Research and 
Extension Program, a grant program of the National Institute of Food 
and Agriculture.
    Section 1408(a)(2) of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 
amended the membership of the Citrus Disease Subcommittee to increase 
the number of members from 9 members to 11. Members must be a producer 
of citrus with representation from the following States: five members 
from Arizona or California, five members from Florida, and one member 
from Texas.
    The Citrus Disease Subcommittee is soliciting nominations to fill 
three vacant positions for membership:
     Two positions to represent Florida, and
     one position to represent California or Arizona.

All nominees will be carefully reviewed for their expertise, 
leadership, and relevance to a category.

    Done at Washington, DC, this day of April 13, 2020.
Cikena Reid,
Committee Management Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2020-09931 Filed 5-7-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-03-P